Very Limited Releases
November 3, 2006
Only five limited releases this week, only one of which has serious mainstream appeal. That film, Volver, is the odds on favorite to win top spot on the Per Theatre Charts while has a real shot at $10 million or more by the time its theatrical run winds down.
Romantico - Reviews
A Soap - Reviews
Umrao Jaan - Reviews
Unknown - Reviews
Volver - Reviews
A documentary about illegal immigrants from Mexico. The film follows a musician, Carmelo Sanchez, who came to the United States to help support his family only to return when his mother became ill. Beautifully shot and with a touching story, the film should please those who see it, but like most such film's there's not a large enough market for it to escape its limited release origins. Romantico opened on Wednesday at the IFC Center in New York City.
A Danish film that has a subject matter too out there to find a mainstream audience, even if you ignore the foreign language aspect. In the film, Charlotte moves out of her boyfriend's apartment and becomes roommates with Veronica, a transsexual, with whom she eventually starts a relationship. Reviews are mixed with some complimenting the film for being genuine, while others feel there are too many cliches. A Soap starts tonight at the Quad Cinema in New York City.
The latest Bollywood musical stars Aishwarya Rai, who has the potential to develop serious cross-over appeal. Her last film to be released here was Bride & Prejudice, which earned $6 million despite never playing in more than 288 theatres. I don't think this film will earn that much money, but it could continue the upward trend in box office potential for such films. Umrao Jaan opens tonight in 65 theatres in select cities.
Five men wake up in a warehouse not knowing who they are or how they got there. A lot of people are comparing it to Saw, Memento, and even Cube. Unfortunately, they are also saying those three films are all better than this one. On the other hand, the film has a more populous feel and could develop a cult following by the time it reaches the home market. Unknown opens tonight in two theaters, including the IFC Center in New York City.
Out of all the movies opening in limited release this weekend, this one has the best shot at earning some mainstream success. This film is directed by Pedro Almodovar, who is one of the few foreign directors able to develop a following here. His last film managed more than $5 million at the box office, and it had a subject matter that was much more difficult than this film. In fact, I think this film will top $10 million and beat Talk to Her has his biggest hit in this market. Volver opens tonight in five theatres in New York City and the Los Angeles area.
Filed under: Limited Releases, Volver, Umrao Jaan, Romántico, Unknown, En soap